The Star of David
by Osterreicher und Puroisen
Summary: In 1948, the State of Israel declared himself and independent country, so his life and freedom was about to begin. But the war with the Arabs is inminent, and the young nation thinks about his future, trying to solve by himself all the problems that are in front of him.


**THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE**

* * *

Jaim did not believe what was about to happen there until five minutes before the Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion (1) had stood up just below the portrait of Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl (2), the man who made possible that the Land of Israel were a few hours of being a free country. Jaim Benzekri, the embodiment of the country, was sitting just to the right, to the right of Ben-Gurion, and looking at him as if the man was like the reincarnation of God. In their eyes, he seemed that. When the old man stood up, all the people shut up, and the main hall of the Tel Aviv's Art Museum. Jaim suddenly felt so emotional.

-_Eretz Israel_ had been the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here they have forged their spiritual, religious and national identity. Here they had lived as a free and sovereign people; here they had created a culture with national and universal values...

When Ben-Gurion started to talk, all the eyes in the room turned to him. That was incredible. To have everything organized hastily and without much discipline, the fact is that there were so much people, about three hundred, including politicians, religious leaders, journalists from a lot of countries and some citizens. There were two groups of chairs, which were in front of the head table, where Jaim was sitting, and behind the table. And all those people had turned his attention as once to the Prime Minister.

The young embodiment of Israel, who was looking as a fifteen years human, was also paying full attention, and as incredible as it seemed, had momentarily forgotten that he was about to be invaded by enemies , all of those who don't want him to be a free and sovereign nation.

-The First Zionist Congress proclaimed that the Jews had the right to reborn as a nation in their own country...

Nation. Jaim had almost forgotten which was the meaning of this word, since that day he was invaded for the first time... All he remembered was that he cried because he had been beaten. He remembered that their king was killed. There he started his life as a slave. Slave, because he had been that and nothing else. Jaim just had memories of David and Solomon, whose could be called the only ones who had loved him and had been worried about his happiness and prosperity. He remembered when he had been conquered by the Romans.

The boy remembered that he cried every night, feeling small, alone and defenseless (thought Rome was so kind and paternal with him, and almost every day, the old nation went to his house to see Jaim. And he, that was ten years, showed himself grateful to Rome) and when the kid was crying, was saying repeatedly two names, the names of David and Solomon, asking God for the return of his kings and the waking of his eternal nightmare. But that never happened.

More and more empires controlled him, and when the Ottomans established their sovereignty in his territories, the peace and stability had came to Israel, or Palestine, as the kid was named, and Jaim could live without being troubled. Sadiq was tolerant with the religious freedom and the Judaism wasn't illegalized, so the boy could practice it. The only thing Jaim had to do was to control the rebellions and strikes, and no more.

-The catastrophe that befell the Jewish people, which was very close to be eradicated from the Earth…

A shiver ran through the boy's body. Israel had made every effort to clear his mind of those memories. He had not seen it with his own eyes, and he hated himself for being glad for this... But even if Jaim had not seen that incident, he felt the pain and death of each of the millions of Jews exterminated by Nazi Germany. Six years passed, six years of anguish and endless agony that made him want to die and plead God for an end of that the torture, and call him by his side. Fortunately, he survived, and in 1945 all came to an end. It took a long time to recover, and even today, three years after the war, Jaim's body still hurt a little when he moved.

-Depositing confidence in "The Rock of Israel" (3), we sign this declaration in the People's Provisional Council, today 5th Iyar, 5708. (4)

David Ben-Gurion ended to talk and Jaim Benzekri noticed that his eyes were full of tears. The audience began to clap kind and soft, but sensitively. The young nation tried to hold himself. He doesn't want to cry there. But he couldn't. Ben Gurion looked and asked him to stand up. Jaim did it, swallowing. Then, the old Prime Minister hugged him, and Jaim's moans were clearly audible. Ben Gurion was…his third king. (5) The man petted his nation in the head.

-Now you only can rise and shine, Jaim. My life will come to an end someday, and God will call me by his side, but you, you will stay here forever, being the only and true descendant of Yahweh. Never forget that, promise me –said the old man, smiling.

-I-I promise, I promise –said Jaim, trying to stop crying. He sat down again. Ben Gurion continued talking, but about different things like derogating laws and stuff. Jaim began to think…who will recognize him as an independent nation? Who will be his ally or friend? And who will be his foe? Will anyone protect him against the threat of the Arabs? He hopes so. Now that Israel was free, he will do anything to stay free. Anything.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a sweet music. All the audience stood up, and Jaim did the same. He knew what was that music. It was his national anthem. His national flag was behind him, blue and white, with the Star of David in the middle. This time, Jaim didn't care to be seen crying.

* * *

**That was the episode, now I'll explain the numbers between the parenthesis:**

(1) David Ben Gurion was the first Prime Minister of the independent State of Israel.

(2) Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl is the original name of Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism. His portrait was hanging in the wall in the ceremony of the Declaration of Independence of Israel.

(3) That is a reference of God, who couldn't appear in a political text.

(4) 14th May, 1948.

(5) The two kings who brought more prosperity, strength and popularity to the Kingdom of Israel were David and Solomon. Ben Gurion is the "father" of the independence after 1500 years of foreign occupation, so Jaim considers him "his third king".


End file.
